Posted on 06/18/2005 8:15:49 AM PDT by Graybeard58
Before the parade passes her by, Tiffany Hasley will stand up for her right to perform with the Beatrice High School marching band. She'll be on the corner of 13th and Court streets in Beatrice at 8:30 a.m. this morning, all lined up for today's Homestead Days Parade.
Clarinet in hand, standing tall in her stiff new band shoes, she plans to leave quietly when school officials tell her she cannot march. Because the home-schooled eighth-grader does not want to make a scene, just a point. That is: Home-school students should be allowed to participate in any public school activity, as long as they pay taxes and live within the school district.
"I'm not in tears," she said. "But I'm kind of mad. My band teacher says I'm a good student. And I am first-chair clarinet."
Beatrice High School officials told Tiffany last month that she would not be able to participate in band next year as a ninth-grader. The school bars home-school students from being in activities regulated by the Nebraska School Activities Association.
Tiffany's parents, Ron and Vicki Hasley, plan to fight the school's decision, maybe even in court. But, at least for this summer, they figured she could still play with the band.
That's not the case, they learned Wednesday when band director Bruce Greenwell told Tiffany just before practice that Superintendent Dale Kruse decided she should sit out Saturday's parade. On Friday, the Hasleys received a formal letter from Kruse stating the same.
"They say she isn't registered, but no one has to be registered until school starts this fall," said Ron Hasley. "Really, quote me that policy. Show me that statute."
Both Kruse and BHS activities director Randy Coleman were unavailable for comment Friday.
But Roger Harris, attorney for the Beatrice school board, said the decision is consistent with school policy. No one can play in the band unless they are registered, full-time students at the school, he said.
"Even though marching in the parade is an informal thing, it's not open to just anyone," Harris said.
"Say a student from Wymore wanted to march. Would anyone care? Probably not. But the perception is, ‘This is the Beatrice High School band,' and we have to protect that."
Whether homeschool students can be in marching band is at the discretion of each school, said Jim Tenopir, director of the NSAA.
Band members can practice or perform at non-NSAA events such as parades or high school football games. But for competitive activities, the NSAA only allows students from accredited schools to compete against other students.
NSAA eligibility rules ensure that high school students keep up their grades and attend school regularly, or they cannot compete, Tenopir said.
Enforcing the very specific and rigid rules among homeschoolers would be impossible, he said.
"You are probably not going to hear a parent say, ‘I caught my kid smoking so please don't let him play football,'" Tenopir said.
But some state senators would like to change both school policies and NSAA rules to include homeschool students.
Legislative bills addressing that issue have been introduced for the past few years, most recently by Sens. Phil Erdman and Mike Foley. But none of the bills have made it out of committee.
Ron Hasley said he's "a constitution kind of guy," who will pursue the issue, not only for his daughter but for other homeschool students.
"I pay taxes," he said. "I'm asking for a service, and I'm not getting it. I hope what happens here sets precedence for the state."
That is an interesting opinion, but government programs are not permitted to exclude people, especially people who pay taxes. The school officials FEAR competition from homeschooling and try to make it harder. It is not permissible for them to do this, and, as they are acting outside their authority, their personal assets should be at risk in this tort.
She is the lead chair and has been practicing all year with the pretense that she would march with the band...now, all of the sudden they tell her she can't.
Would this school tell another 8th grader who is in the band that they can't march in the last parade because they are moving to another town or going to the local Catholic High School? I think not!
Which is what I'd expect too. If the kid is qualified, let em play. Doesn't hurt the organization
If it sucks then why should she want anything at all to do with it?
Because we don't WANT them to have our kids all day. We don't want them to have that much input and influence. There's a big difference in participation in the school band and them being there ALL day.
I didn't call the police or the fire department once last year. Can I get my tax dollars that were spent on them refunded?
Article states, "That is: Home-school students should be allowed to participate in any public school activity, as long as they pay taxes and live within the school district."
If this girl doesn't attend school then she is not among the head count for the district, meaining the school does NOT receive any money for her. I have nothing against home-schooling, but with it comes choices and sacrifices - this is one of those sacrifices.
Because she plays the clarinet really well and she enjoys playing with the band? And she's a resident of the school district and she and her parents are tax-paying citizens of the United States?
Hey, do I get a Master of the Obvious Award too??
"That is an interesting opinion, but government programs are not permitted to exclude people, especially people who pay taxes."
I think that you're wrong about this. First of all, the government can exclude people from programs based upon qualifications. As I stated in an earlier post, my tax money goes towards government welfare programs, the benefits of which I do not receive because I do not qualify for welfare.
As the article points out, the school is permitted to exclude students who are not registered at that school. She is not a registered student at that school, therefore, they can exclude her. It only makes sense that one particular school's programming would be limited to the students at that school. Otherwise, you could end up with a situation where kids from all over the area were clamoring to get into a particularly good program (band, science, math, whatever) whether they were registered students at that school or not.
I can't see why the parents (or the student for that matter) would want her to participate in school programs if they had already decided that the school wasn't good enough.
Uh, does the school's insurance cover kids who aren't enrolled in the school?
I'm sure special permission would be quickly granted if the home schooled student were male and a talented football player. Our school district also blocked home schooled students from some but not all activities...orchestra is OK, but not sports. It is a matter of time before our District is sued over this stupid policy.
You mean people accessing a service thye pay for? The horror!
You know quite well what this is about: It is about petty bureaucrats telling the people who pay them how to behave. The bureaucrat should lose his job and his house. Such people deserve humiliation.
I'm usually the first one to stand up for the rights of parents who homeschool their kids, but in this case I'm on the side of the school. The kid is either a student of the school, or she's not. She can't have it both ways.
"You mean people accessing a service thye pay for? The horror!"
Actually, you're wrong about them paying for the service. As someone pointed out in a post above, if the girl isn't part of the registered headcount for the school, then the school receieves no money for her. And as someone pointed out in a post below, if the school has to allow everyone who pays taxes into the school's programs, then they would have no right to exclude adults either.
"My band teacher says I'm a good student. And I am first-chair clarinet."
It sounds like she is enrolled at least for one class somewhere.
You can take private music lessons and play solo, but you can't take band unless you are in with other students.
The article isn't clear about this.
Is she home schooled for academics and takes the band class at the school?
LOL
right ok....sure that's what it means for all those other kids!!!
its really simple. If you want to represent the school in the marching band, then go to the school.
Dont you think that is KIND OF a MIXED signal, saying I want to represent your school in the band but not in the classroom?
you can't have your cake and eat it too, whether you be Conservative and homeschooled or liberal and in the public schools.
Here's the question: If parents want their kids involved in school-based activities, why not send them to the school?
Ummm...because public school education just generally sucks for about a hundred reasons?
So.... the parents want their child to represent the schools they despise by playing in the school band? I am all for home schooling. The argument about paying taxes as creating a right to join the school band just doesn't fly though. You have the choice of going to the school or not. If you go, maybe you can play in the band. If you don't, you cannot.
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